The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

Anti-Russian feelings | A petition that has so far gained 6,500 signatures calls for properties in Czechia owned by Russians to be disconnected from gas, water, and electricity services, Pražská Drbna reports. Martin Ondráček, who is the co-author of the Gift for Putin project, said the "Let's extinguish the Russian embassy in Prague" petition aims to give Russians a taste of what Ukrainians are now experiencing due to the ongoing war, which has currently left large parts of Ukraine without energy and water.

Nuclear progress | ČEZ representatives said today they were analyzing three offers for the building of a new nuclear unit at the Dukovany power plant, ČTK reports. The deadline for final offers is the end of September 2023. So far, the companies that expressed interest in the tender are EDF from France, Westinghouse from the U.S., and KHNP from South Korea. Russian and Chinese companies have not been included in the tender process for security reasons.

Fraud investigation | Czech police detained the representatives of investment company Xixoio, Richard Watzke and Henry Ertner, yesterday on suspicion of defrauding investors, Deník N reports. A source close to the investigation estimated the damage caused to investors to stand at roughly CZK 500 million. Deník N previously reported on Xixoio's problematic business model, confusion in the company's management, and previous financial problems.

Emptier piggy banks | Czechs are saving around CZK 5,000 a month, which is CZK 3,000 less than last year, according to a survey from PAQ Research, cited by iRozhlas. More than a third of households don't save anything at all, an increase from 20 percent last year. The survey was conducted on more than 1,700 people at the beginning of November.

Beware of ticks | People should be wary of ticks while outdoors even in colder weather, ČTK reports, citing doctors from the South Bohemian region. The latter diagnosed 21 patients with Lyme disease in the week of Nov. 14 to 20, when daily lows dropped below freezing. Tick-borne diseases include Lyme disease, and tick-borne encephalitis.

Highway to the Baltic| Poland's completion of the A1 highway gives Czechia access to the Baltic Sea, Deník.cz reports. The Amber Highway starts near three Polish northern cities (Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot) on the Baltic border and ends at the Czech border, where it connects to the D1 highway near Bohumín in the east. The total length of the A1 highway, which is partially tolled, is 566 kilometers.

Hit or miss? | Despite some criticism, the renovation of the Helfštýn Castle in Přerovsk proved a hit with visitors, Aktuálně.cz reports. The castle welcomed more than 116,000 people this year, the highest number of visitors since the facility became available to the public five decades ago. The reconstruction works included corrosion-resistant steel structures, a glass roof and lighting, which some say are at odds with the Renaissance palace.

Air quality |The cost-of-living crisis might have a detrimental effect on the quality of air, iDnes reports, citing the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ). This is because higher heating costs could result in more people burning wood and coal to save money. Jáchym Brzezina, head of the air quality department of the ČHMÚ in Brno, said that very cold days with little wind would also worsen air pollution.

Doomsday clock | A clock in Prague’s Letná park has started counting down to time left to avert irreversible climate change. A project of Festival svobody (Freedom Festival), which also organizes the annual memorial celebrations for the Day of Struggle for Freedom and Democracy on Nov. 17, the clock will be in operation until Dec. 12. Read more.